2009
CODY: THE FIRST STEPDisabilities Health Women's Studies Science Sociology Political Science 2009
Narrated by actress Glenn Close, this heartfelt documentary follows Cody Unser, a remarkable young woman left paralyzed from a rare neurological disorder, as she learns to live with her disability while working to raise awareness, improve quality of life and find a cure for those afflicted with spinal cord related paralysis.
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ME BRONI BA (MY WHITE BABY)African Studies Women's Studies African-American Studies Anthropology Sociology 2009 Directed by Women
Weaving together sequences of hair-braiding salons in Ghana, voice-over of Oprah rhapsodizing brown-skinned dolls and animated clips of signature hairstyles, Me Broni Ba (My White Baby) is an artfully composed, thought-provoking work that investigates the fraught relationship between images of beauty and power.
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FIXER: THE TAKING OF AJMAL NAQSHBANDIMedia Studies Middle Eastern Studies Political Science Cultural Studies Peace & Conflict Islamic Studies Terrorism Studies Sociology 2009
A behind-the-scenes look at the dangerous world of wartime news gathering, this incisive documentary tells the story of 24-year-old Ajmal Naqshbandi, a 'fixer' - someone hired by foreign journalists to gain access for their stories - who was kidnapped, along with an Italian reporter, by the Taliban in 2007.
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THROW DOWN YOUR HEARTAfrican Studies African-American Studies Music Anthropology 2009
Throw Down Your Heart follows American banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck on his journey to Africa to explore the little known African roots of the banjo. This exuberant musical adventure provides a glimpse of the beauty and complexity of Africa - a picture that is very different from what is often shown in the media.
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O'ER THE LANDAmerican Studies Sociology Media Studies 2009 Directed by Women
Taking its title from the last line in the first stanza of the National Anthem, O'er The Land is a haunting meditation on the connection between patriotism and violence in American culture. It raises timely questions about the hallowed concept of freedom, including how its evolved since 1776 and what it means to Americans today.
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THE HILLSIDE CROWDAfrican Studies Sociology Anthropology 2009
When gold was discovered on a remote hillside in Burkina Faso, a bustling city quickly sprung up around it, replete with gold-diggers, prospectors, merchants, holy men, gamblers and prostitutes. The Hillside Crowd profiles the inhabitants of this improvised gold town and their efforts to escape the surrounding poverty.
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WADE IN THE WATER, CHILDREN2009 Urban Studies Sociology Psychology & Psychiatry Media Studies Health Education Cinema Studies Anthropology American Studies African-American Studies Directed by Women
Through a passionate mixture of private videos, uncensored interviews and school-day adventures, the young children of Singleton Charter Middle School, the first school to open in New Orleans after Katrina, have created a revealing portrait of urban youth at the heart of an ongoing American crisis.
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THE BEEKEEPERSEnvironmental Studies Science World History 2009
What can the behavior of bees tell us about our environment? The Beekeepers is an innovative documentary that investigates the causes behind Colony Collapse Disorder, the mass disappearance of bees all over the world.
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THE SOLITARY LIFE OF CRANESArchitecture Urban Studies Sociology 2009 Directed by Women
Part city symphony, part visual poem, The Solitary Life of Cranes explores the invisible life of a city, its patterns and hidden secrets, seen through the eyes of crane drivers working high above its streets. Referencing both Ruttmann and Vertov as well as Jane Jacobs' "The Death and Life of Great American Cities," it's a beautiful meditation on how our existence is shaped by the spaces we inhabit.
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AT THE DEATH HOUSE DOORCriminal & Law American Studies Latino Studies Religion & Spirituality Kartemquin Films 2009
An impassioned exploration of the legal and ethical issues surrounding capital punishment, this award-winning documentary looks at the death penalty through the eyes of Pastor Carroll Picket, who served 15 years as a death house chaplain in a notorious Texas penitentiary and presided over 95 executions.
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SOMEONE ELSE’S WARAsian Studies Labor Studies Political Science Cultural Studies Peace & Conflict 2009 Directed by Women
In the background of the war in Iraq is an invisible army made up of more than 30,000 low-wage workers from South and Southeast Asia. Someone Else's War is the first documentary to investigate this new underclass created by American warfare and examine what it means to globalize the business of war.
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THE LAST DAYS OF SHISHMAREFEnvironmental Studies Anthropology Native American Studies Sociology 2009 Indigenous Studies
An astounding new documentary on the first victims of global warming, The Last Days of Shishmaref travels to a small village in northwest Alaska, home to an Inupiaq Eskimo community, where homes are literally falling into the sea. The entire village is expected to disappear within 10 years.
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